PLYMOUTH — While the Fourth of July commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, it is also known for another age-old classic in the United States of America.

Baseball.

And what better day for the top two teams in the Greater Norristown Area Legion Baseball League to play the most important game of their season. Mt. Carmel — sitting strongly but quietly in second place — served up a surprising 7-2 win (to anyone but the Mounties) to JP Mascaro on Wednesday night.

All JPM needed was one win and that would dampen all hopes the Mounties had of taking a late-season surge and overcoming Mascaro in the standings. But JPM — decked out in red and blue — aimed to halt that notion abruptly.

“We needed this game to show we’re still number one in the league and that we belong there,” Anthony said.

It didn’t take long for JPM to put a run on the board. Leadoff hitter and catcher Lucas Denczi started off the game with a single, and on a throwing error by shortstop Austin DiBonaventure, Denczi circled the bases and slid home safe. The only run of the day was unearned.

“I know it was just one run, but my team still did it,” Anthony said.

Anthony, who had pitched last Wednesday and again on Sunday in the Legion All-Star game, told coach Butch Denczi that he was ready to go today. He worked quickly and got ahead of batters with first-pitch strikes, allowing two leadoff walks and a hit by Rob Pecharo in the bottom of the second. Otherwise, Anthony pitched five clean innings and saw only two batters more than the minimum.

“He wanted the ball and he said he was ready,” Denczi said. “We have the utmost faith in him.”

When asked about his short rest, throwing 80 pitches the prior week and then 62 in the All-Star game, Anthony said he was tired after the game. Early in the game he began at-bats with first-pitch fastballs, but as the game progressed he allowed catcher Lucas Denczi to dictate the pace of the game and used his splitter or changeup early in the count — with similar results.

“With Mikey and Lucas we pretty much let them figure out the hitters as they come up,” Butch Denczi said. “We’re not sending them signals.”

On the other side, 15-year-old Zach Metz had the ball for Mt. Carmel and pitched brilliantly. In a game where he was overshadowed by the performance of Anthony, it was just as much his game to win. Similarly, he was only coming off three days rest as well.

“He threw great. He worked out of jams, he worked ahead, he threw his changeup a lot,” Mt. Carmel manager DJ Santoro said. “He’s still young and he’s still learning how to pitch … but he carries himself like an older kid — he’s very mature.”

Metz allowed six hits in the game — four of which came in the first two innings — but only walked one. He allowed four leadoff men to reach base and had to pitch from the stretch in five of the seven innings. Otherwise, he was one rally short of the victory.

In the bottom of the sixth that rally almost came for Mt. Carmel. Matt Magid, the eight-hole hitter, drew a leadoff walk and was bunted over safely on the sacrifice by Metz. Leadoff hitter Jeff Mikalonis worked ahead 3-0, but went down looking on three straight strikes in which he irately and verbosely argued from the depth of the dugout. The next batter, Connor Purdy, lined out to center and thus the rally was snuffed.

“I told them that we just needed two runs and three outs,” Santoro said in regards to his team’s final six outs. “It was our game as much as their game, it’s just that we didn’t hit the ball.”

In the final frame Mt. Carmel sat down in order on a groundout, pop out and a swinging strike. During the final out Denczi dropped the ball on a swinging strike three, and as he rose to throw the runner out at first, Anthony smiled and pumped his fist.

“Lucas was calling a great game,” Anthony said. “I just had to keep throwing strikes and I was just hoping that my team would come up and support me.”

With the win JP Mascaro clinched first place and home field in the upcoming playoffs, which pending any forthcoming rain dates will begin on July 12. Mt. Carmel’s winning streak, which ended at six, has solidified their position in second place and on Sunday will finish out the regular season against Mascaro at Villanova Ball Park at Plymouth.